WilsonD’AgostinoTransparentSooloos

Wilson Audio Specialties Sasha loudspeakers, D’Agostino Master Audio Systems Momentum monoblock power amplifiers, Transparent Audio cables, and Peter McGrath handling the tunes via an iPad and Meridian Sooloos MC200 media center. I heard a very similar system in a shoebox of a room at the California Audio Show earlier this year. What a difference a room makes!

In California, the system sounded very good, but was clearly restrictedI was impressed that the system sounded as good as it did in such a small room. But, here, with room to breathe, the system was better able to communicate the delicacy and nuance of recorded events, the touch of musicians and instruments in space. The Sashas sounded like far bigger speakers, delivering the music with great impact and scale. Of course, the Transparent cables and Momentum monoblocks had something to do with this, too.

Before we got around to listening to music, Dan D’Agostino talked about the Momentum. He seemed like a proud and happy man. “There were always a bunch of different things I wanted to do, and I did them all in here.”

D’Agostino’s “super analog” line preamplifier should be available by December. A phono stage is in the works, and the 200Wpc stereo amp ($25,000) shares the distinct chassis of the monoblock, but will have a separate meter for each channel. Cool stuff. (Awesome heatsinks.)

This gets my vote for "best sound" at RMAF 2011. Classical music recording simply doesn't get any better than Peter McGrath's work. The playback electronics simply disappeared into the music. Too bad about the room, though..